Gyratory crusher



Aug. 24, 1954 H. H. RUMPEL 2,687,257

GYRATORY CRUSHER Filed June 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Aug. 24, 1954 H. H. RUMPEL GYRATORY CRUSHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 13, 1951 Patented Aug. 24, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims. (Cl. 241-215) This invention relates generally to improvements in gyratory crushers, and. relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of devices for effecting relative adjustment of the crushing members of such crushers in order to insure most efiicient and economical crushing action.

When gyratory crushers of the type having a gyratory crushing head cooperating with a normally fixed crushing concave to provide an annular crushing chamber, are utilized to reduce rock and ore to fine sizes, rapid wear takes place upon the crushing surfaces especially when abrasive materials are being reduced, thus necessitating frequent relative adjustments of the crushing members in order to maintain uniform size of the product. Then too, when reducing rock for construction and road building purposes, the demand for specific sizes of products may change during relatively short periods of operation, so that the magnitude of the discharge opening of the crusher must be altered to most economically and effectively produce the sizes of aggregate in greatest demand at the moment. The fine reduction crushers for producing such finished sizes therefore require rather frequent and accurate adjustment with minimum loss of time in order to meet the varying demands while maintaining maximum capacity and uniformity of selected sizes, and whenever a relative adjustment of the crushing members has been made the parts must be firmly held in adjusted position in order that the size uniformity will be retained.

Prior to the present invention, it was customary to effect relative adjustment of the crushing concave and head, with the aid of mechanism such as shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,993,900 granted March 12, 1935, wherein the crushing bowl or concave was mounted upon an internally threaded adjusting ring the threads of which coacted with extensive external screw threads formed upon an annular series of curved wedges having internal wedge surfaces engaging a frusto conical surface of large diameter formed on the main crusher frame, while theadjusting ring was rotatableabout the wedge segments to effect adjustment of the concave toward or away from the head and the wedges were shiftable along the frame taper to clamp the screw threads together, with the aid of individual jack screws applied to each wedge. Although this method of compensating for wear and for varying the size of the product, was quite satisfactory as to ultimate results, it required the use of numerous sets of adjusting and clamping screws and nuts ing screw threads.

each set of which had to be manipulated in like manner in order to insure uniform adjustment and final clamping of the large diameter coact- Suchmanipulation was ordinarily effected by several men with the aid of long handled wrenches in order to create sumcient clamping pressure and to firmly tighten lock nuts applied to the jack screws, so that the time and labor consumed in making each adjustment was enormous and resulted in vast loss of crushing time and capacity.

It is therefore a primar object of my present invention to provide simple and effective means for effecting relative adjustment of the crushing members of a gyratory crusher for any desired purpose, effectively and with minimum effort and loss of time.

Another important object of the invention is to provide improved adjusting mechanism for the crushing bowl or concave of a gyratory crusher whereby accurate adjustment and firm locking of the parts in adjusted position may be quickly and conveniently eifected.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjusting and locking system for the large diameter screw threaded concave carrying ring of gyratory crusher whereby precise adjustment may be effected and the parts are adapted to be simultaneously clamped into various positions of relative adjustment at several points or localities about the crushing zone with equal force.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide fluid pressure actuated means operable from a common source for uniformly clamping the adjusting screw threads surrounding a gyratory crusher bowl and crushing chamber, into adjusted positions at various equally spaced localities about the crushing zone so as to effectively prevent relative rotation of the coacting screw threads during normal operation of the crusher.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an improved hydraulically actuated unit for forcibly clamping and for quickly releasing the screw threaded elements to permit relative adjustment of the crushing concave and head of a gyratory crusher, so that minimum effort and more rapid and accurate adjustments may be made than was heretofore possible.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the improvements constituting my present invention and of the construction and operation of several typical gyratory crushers embodying the same, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevational of a gymtory fine crusher having one type of my improved concave bowl adjusting system applied thereto the section having been taken centrally and vertically through the crushing zone;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical .radial section through a fragment of the relatively rotatably adjustable main frame and concave carrying ring of the crusher of Fig. 1, showing one of the three equally spaced hydraulic jacks for-clamping their parts in various positions of adjustment;

Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged vertical radial section through a fragment of a relatively rotatav bly adjustable main frame, concave carrying ring, and wedge assembly, showing one of several hydraulic jacks for clamping the parts in adjusted position applied to the ring; and

Fig. 4 is a likewise enlarged vertical radial section through a fragment of the relatively rotatably adjustable main frame, concave carrying ring, and wedge, similar to that of Fig. 3 but showing the hydraulic jack applied to one of the segmental wedges of the adjusting mechanism.

The gist of my present invention is the provision of quick acting means, preferably fluid. pressure actuated, for uniformly applying or releasing clamping. pressure between the coacting concave adjusting screw threads formed on the frame and concave carrying ring of a gyratory crusher at various equally spaced localities about the periphery of the crushing chamber, and while the invention has been illustrated and described as being advantageously applicable to a fine crusher of a particular type, it is not my desire or intention to unnecessarily restrict the utility of the improvement by virtue of this limited embodiment. It is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms employed herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with thedisclosure.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the high-speed gyratory reduction crusher shown therein, comprises in general, a sturdy main frame 6 having a central vertically bored huh I and an annular outer wall 8 spaced from but rigidly united with the hub l; a freely rotatable gyratory crushing head 9 located above the frame huh I and having a depending shaft l extending intothe hub bore at a slight angle relative to the bore axis; an eccentric sleeve H journalled for rotation inthe bore of the hub 1 and having an eccentric bore forming a guide bearing for the shaft 153; a wedge shaped flange I2 trig-idly associated with the upper portion of the=sleeve H and coacting with the frame hub l and with the crushing head 9 through lower and upper .annular anti-friction thrust bearings l3, M respectively; a driving shaft rotatable by a pulley l6 and being drivingly connected to the lower portion of the eccentric sleeve I! by means of bevel gears ll, IS; an annular crushing bowl or concave 19 having a frustro conical crushing surface cooperating with the head 9 to provide a downwardly flaring crushing chamber 20 having an annular discharge opening 2|; .a concave carrying ring 22 tiltably supporting the concave l9 coaxially of the frame hub -T and having thereon a series of internal screw threads 23 .coacting with external screw threads 24 formed on the frame wall 8, while. the exterior .of

the ring 22 is provided with an outwardly directed flange 25 having a series of peripheral teeth 25; a ratchet pawl 21 cooperable with the teeth '26 to revolve or rotate the ring 22 relative to the frame wall 8; and a plurality of equally spaced and simultaneously operable hydraulic rams or jacks 28 for applying pressure to the ring flange 25 .so as to clamp the. screw threads 23, 24 together.

The central hub I of the frame 6 is preferably formed integral with the outer annular wall 8, and the lower end of the latter is provided with an integral base flange 30 while the screw threads 24 are formedalong its upper outer portion. The crushing head 9 is provided with a replaceable mantle 3|, and the concave bowl !9 is likewise provided with a replaceable liner 32 which'cooperates with the mantle 3! to bound the crushing chamber 29 with wear resistant surfaces. The upper extremity of the head 9 and shaft it .may also be provided with a feed plate 33 disposed centrally within a supply hopper 34 carriedby the concave l9, and the latter is normally pressed into firm contact with its carrying ring 22 by means of a plurality of safety relief compression springs 35 the upper ends of which react against an annular plate 36 connected to the ring 22 by stud bolts 31. These springs function to hold the concave l9 and its liner 32 against the ring 22 during normal crushing, but will permit tilting or upward displacement of these parts under abnormal conditions of operation as when unbreakable substance enters the crushing chamber 26.

The ratchet pawl 21 which coacts with the teeth 26 of the concave carrier ring flange 25, is operable by means of a lever 39 swingably mounted upon a pivot pin All carried by the frame wall 8, to rotate the ring 22 and its internal screw thread 23, reiative to the frame wall 8 and its external screw, threads 24, and to thereby move the concave i9 down or up relative to the crushing head 9 so as to diminish or increase the vertical width of the chamber 28 and its discharge opening 2 I. In order to protect the screw threads 23, 24 from dust, the ring 22 is provided with a depending annular apron 38 slidably coacting with a seal, as shown. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, three hydraulic rams 0r jacks 28 spaced equidistant about the frame wall 8, are provided for the purpose of applying clamping pressure to the coacting screw threads 23, 24 whenever an adjustment of the crushing concave l9 has been eifected, and each of these jacks 28 has a cylinder 4| resting upon the frame base flange 30 and a vertically movable plunger or piston 42 coacting with the ring flange 25.

The jacks 28 may b simultaneously operated from any suitable source of fluid under pressure, and as depicted in Fig. 1, all of these jacks are connected by conduits 44 to a hydraulic pump 65 for propelling liquid such as oil, and to an accumulator 45 for maintaining a predetermined pressure within the ram cylinders 4| whenever the jacks 28 are active to clamp the screw threads 23, 24 together. Th pump 45 is mahipulatable by a lever 41 to force liquid from a supply reservoir 48 into the displacement chambers of the jacks 28 and into the accumulator 46, and arelief or by-pass valv 48 is also provided for returning liquid from the jack cylinder ll to the reservoir it whenever it is desired to release the thread clamping pressure in order to effect adjustment of the concave bowl I8. Accumulators 4B of various types may be utilized, but the device which is specifically illustrated is known as the Greer type and consists of a container having an elastic ba therein precharged with nitrogen or air to a pressure equivalent to approximately the minimum pressure required in the system. Obviously, any other suitable type of pump and accumulator may be substituted for those shown, but these elements of the pressure applying system should b adapted to compensate for leakage and to simultaneously maintain uniform high pressure in all of the jacks 28 during normal operation of the crusher while quickly releasing the thread clamping pressure whenever an adjustment is to be made.

Referring specifically to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the modified crusher assemblages shown therein differ from that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, primarily in the construction of the locking mechanism for clamping the concave supporting ring 22 to the outer annular wall of the main frame 8. In both of these modifications, an annular series of wedge segments 5! is interposed between the carrier ring 22' and the frame wall, and the segments 51 are provided with external screw threads 24 coacting with internal screw threads 23 of the ring 22, while the interior wedge surfaces of the segments coact with a frustro conical outer surface 52 formed on the frame wall. The concave mounting ring 22' is in each case provided with external peripheral teeth 26 for rotating the same with the aid of a ratchet pawl 27 and lever 39 in order to effect adjustment of the concave l9 relative to the head 9 and each of the modified assemblages also utilizes a series of two or more simultaneously operable hydraulic jacks 28 for effecting clamping of the screw threads 23, 24' to each other, all of which rest upon the lower flange 3! of the outer wall of the frame 6.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the plungers 42 of the concave locking jacks 28 coact directly with the lower surface of the concave carrying ring 22 and elevate the wedge segments 5! along the frustro conical surface 52 of the outer frame wall 8' whenever fluid under pressure is admitted to the jacks 28, thereby causing the segments iii, to spread and clamp the screw threads 23', 24, together. In the embodiment of Fig. l, the jack plungers i2 coact with a continuous ring 53 which engages the lower surfaces of all of the wedge segments 5|, and thus simultaneously elevate all of these segments along the frustro conical surface 52 of the outer wall 8 whenever fluid under pressure is admitted to the jack-s 28, thereby likewise causing the segments 5i to spread and to effect clamping. In this latter embodiment it is also preferable to provide a guide bearing 54 for each of the jack plungers 42 in the frame wall 8 in or der to insure proper cooperation of these plungers with the ring 53 as the segments 5! shift laterally, and in every type of adjusting mechanism it is preferable to provide suitable packing rings for preventing ingress of foreign matter to the adjusting screw threads both from the interior and exterior of the crusher. 7

During normal operation of the improved gyratory crusher, power may be applied from any suitable source to the pulley iii and shaft 15, to rotate the eccentric sleeve ii at relatively high speed through the bevel gears l'l, I8 thereby gyrating the crushing head 9 relative to the crushing concave l9 while permitting free rotation of the head 9 and its shaft it within the eccentric bore. The material which is to be crushed may be deposited upon the gyrating feed plate 33 and into the hopper 34 from which it gravitates into the crushing chamber 20. As the material advances downwardly and outwardly through the chamber 20 it is gradually crushed between the head mantle 3i and the concave liner 32 and is eventually delivered through the annular discharge opening 2i and falls through the space between the frame hub l and wall 8. While reduction of the material is thus being effected, the concave l9 and its supporting ring 22 will be locked against rotation relative to the frame 6 by the clamping action produced by the hydraulic jacks against the coacting screw threads 23, 24, but the concave IS may tilt or rise relative to the carrying ring 22 under abnormal crushing conditions by compressing the safety release springs 35.

Since the crushing surfaces of the head mantle 3i and of the bowl liner 32 are subjected to considerable wear especially when crushing gritty material, and it may also be desirable to vary the size of the final product as determined by the discharge opening 2 I, the concave l 9 must rather frequently be adjusted relative to the head 9. The crusher should then be stopped and. after the crushing chamber 20 has been emptied, the relief valve 49 may be manipulated to release the fluid pressure within the jacks 28 and to thereby simultaneously release the clamping action at the screw threads 23; 24. The lever 39 and ratchet pawl 21 may then be manipulated to rotate the ring 22 and the concave 19 relative to the frame 6 whereupon the screw threads 23, 24 will function to move the concave 59 either up or down relative to the head 9, depending upon the direction of rotation of the concave thus effected. When such adjustment has been made, the relief valve 49 may again be closed and the pump 45 may be operated to force liquid from the reservoir 48 into the accumulator 46 and into all of the jacks 28 thus simultaneously restoring the clamping action between the screw threads 23, 24 at equally spaced localities and insuring uniform and firm locking of the concave in its new position of adjustment.

Such adjustment of the concave i 9 may be effected in like manner with any of the three mechanisms shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and may be quickly and conveniently accomplished by a single operator with minimum loss of time. The hydraulic system obviously locks the parts more firmly and in perfect almement and with uniform clamping pressure throughout the entire extent of the adjusting screw threads, due to the simultaneous functioning of all of the jacks 2B and the like spacing thereof, and it is physically impossible to obtain such results with the aid of screw jacks such aspreviously employed for adjusting the concaves of such crushers. The accumulator 4% functions to maintain uniform clamping pressure at the adjusting threads while the crusher is in use, and these threads are also well protected against entry of foreign matter. While the improved system is especially useful as applied to high speed fine reduction gyratory crushers, it may also be advantageously applied to other types of crushers wherein similar adjustments are required, and the various elements of the system may be installed at moderate cost and readily manipulated.

While the concave bowl and its liner and supporting ring are shown herein as separate elements, these parts in fact constitute the crushing concave proper, and the same is true of the head and its protecting mantle which constitute the crushing head. The bowl and its supporting ring are formed separate merely in order to permit the former to tilt during abnormal crushing and may be formed as a Single unit when no safety release is provided. The shape of the crushing members may also be varied to a considerable extent depending upon the service to be performed, and while the hydraulic system will effectively accomplish the desired results other means for effecting simultaneous clamping of the large diameter adjusting screw threads at several spaced points may also be utilized.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode of operation of the adjusting system herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular outer wall, a crushing head mounted for gyration in said frame within said wall, an annular crushing concave carried by said wall and cooperating with said head to form an annular crushing chamber, said frame wall and said concave having relatively rotatable and coacting screw threads associated therewith for effecting adjustment of the concave relative to said head, and several fluid pressure actuated jacks spaced circumferentially about said screw threads at approximately equal intervals and each having relatively movable parts cooperable with the screw threads to clamp the latter together in various positions of adjustment, each of said jacks also having a displacement chamber for relatively moving its said parts and all of said chambers communicating with a common source of fluid pressure to cause simultaneous and uniform clamping of said screw threads at all of said intervals.

2. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular outer wall, a crushing head mounted for gyration in said frame within said wall, an annular crushing concave cooperating with said head to form an annular crushing chamber, an annular concave support carried by said frame wall, said concave support having internal screw threads rotatably coacting with external screw threads associated with said frame wall for effecting adjustment of said concave relative to said head, and several hydraulic jacks spaced circumferentially about said screw threads at approximately equal intervals and each having relatively movable parts cooperable with the screw threads to clamp the latter together in various positions of adjustment, each of said jacks also having a displacement chamber for relatively moving its said parts and all of said .chambers communicating with a common source wall, said concave support having internal screw threads and said frame wall having thereon external screw threads rotatably cooperable with said internal screw threads for effecting adjustment of said concave relative to said head, and several hydraulic jacks spaced circumferentially about said screw threads at approximately equal intervals and each having relatively movable ular outer wall, a crushing head mounted for gyration in said frame within said wall, an annular crushing concave cooperating with said head to form an annular crushing chamber, an annular concave support carried by said frame wall, a wedge ring interposed between said frame wall and said concave support and having an annular wedge surface coacting with a similar-surface formed on said wall, said concave support having internal screw threads and said wedge ring having external screw threads rotatably cooperable with said internal screw threads for effecting adjustment of said concave relative to said head, and several hydraulic jacks spaced circumferentially about said screw threads at approximately equal intervals and each having relatively movable parts cooperable with the screw threads to clamp the latter together in various positions of adjustment, each of said jacks also having a displacement chamber for relatively moving its said parts and all of said chambers communicating with a common source of hydraulic pressure to cause simultaneous and uniform clamping of said screw threads at all of said intervals.

5. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having an annular outer wall, a crushing head mounted for gyration in said frame within said wall, an annular crushing concave cooperating with said head to form an annular crushing chamber, an annular concave support carried by said frame Wall, a wedge ring interposed between said frame wall and said concave support and having an annular wedge surface coacting with a similar surface formed on said wall, said concave support having internal screw threads and said wedge ring having external screw threads rotatably cooperable with said internal screw threads for effecting adjustment of said concave relative to said head, and several hydraulic jacks spaced circumferentially about said screw threads at approximately equal intervals and each having relatively movable parts cooperable with said frame and said support to clamp said screw threads in various positions of adjustment, each of said jacks also having a displacement chamber for relatively moving its said parts and all of said chambers communicating with a common source of hydraulic pressure to cause simultaneous and uniform clamping of said screw threads at all of said intervals.

6. In a gyratory crusher, a frame having. an annular outer wall, a crushing head mounted for gyration in said frame within said wall, an annular crushing concave cooperating with said head to form an annular crushing chamber, an annular concave support carried by said frame Wall, a wedge ring interposed between said framewall and said concave support and having an annular wedge surface coacting with a similar surface formed on said wall, said concave support having internal screw threads and said wedge ring having external screw threads rotatably 00- v operable with said internal screw threads for effecting adjustment of said concave relative to said head, and several hydraulic jacks spaced circumferentially about screw threads at approximately equal intervals and each having relatively movable parts cooperable with said frame and said Wedge ring to clamp said screw threads in various positions of adjustment, each of said jacks also having a displacement chamber for relatively moving its said parts and all of said chambers communicating with a common source of hydraulic pressure to cause simultaneous and uniform clamping of said screw threads at all of said intervals.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Chappel May 19, 1925 Maclennan June 3, 1930 Rumpel Mar. 12, 1935 Munson June 11, 1940 Munro Apr. 26, 1949 Gruender May 30, 1950 Stevens May 22, 1951 

